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( No Model.)

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WITNESSES. a; ML

w ef UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT C. NICHOLAS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EBEN DOLE, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING WARDROBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,355, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed October 16, 1880.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bonner O. NICHOLAS, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Folding Vardrobes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a rear perspective view of a wardrobe with the back and top removed. Fi

' 2 is a detail perspective view. 1

The object of my invention is to so construct furniture, principally of the class known as clothes presses, wardrobes, bureaus, 1 closets, &c., or those of a bulky nature, so

that they can be readily folded up for shipment, thus occupying small space in transit, and thereby greatly reducing freight on the same.

Furniture constructed in accordance with the knockdown plan cannot be fitted up again 7 except by mechanics, the panel-work and corner-fittings requiring great care in readjust ing; and my design is to construct the piece 2 5 of furniture perfect and fold it together for shipment, so that any inexperienced person, on receiving the same, can readily unfold it and put in the back, shelves, top, and drawers, as will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the front of an ordinary wardrobe or clothes-press. This is provided with end pieces, B B. At the point where the end pieces, B B, join the front piece, A, a groove, A, is formed. 5 the inner edge of which is flush with theinner surface of the end piece, B. The width of this groovcis just half the thickness of the end piece, B. The groove is concaved or rounded on the side nearest the end of the piece A, and the tongue D, on the edge of the end piece, B, is formed on the inner edge of B, and has its outer corner rounded to conform with the rounded groove A. The end pieces, B, are secured to the front A by means of 5 hinges E on the inside of the furniture, as shown. Horizontal gains or grooves B are formed in the end pieces for shelves A, and a vertical groove, 0, near the rear of the end pieces, B B, to permit the back of the closet to be secured in the piece of furniture. Small (No model.)

hooks and staples or other suitable devices in ay be employed for holding the back in place.

F F represent two dowel-pins secured to the top of the end pieces, B, and suitable holes are made in the top for engagement with these pins. The top part is also held down by means of ordinary hooks and staples.

In like manner as shown in Fi 1, the closet, after hai'ingthe top and also the back removed, permits the shelves A to be withdrawn, after which the end pieces, B B, can be lapped over on the front, as shown by detail view in Fig. 2.

The piece of furniture thus constructed re quires no fitting after being transported, since all the parts are adjusted preparatory to shipment.

I am aware that it is well known in the art to construct furniture in which the sides and ends are hinged together or to each other, and I do not, therefore, claim this broadly; but I am not aware that a wardrobe or analogous piece of furniture has ever before been coir structed in which the front, the ends, and the back were left whole and provided along the edges with the peculiarly-formed grooves and tongues, as shown, and hinged to each other. It is obvious that this is not applicable to the common dropleaf table having aform ofton gue somewhat similar, nor is it intended for furniture of that class.

Having described 1n yinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

In folding wardrobes for shipping purposes, the frontA, having near its edges, on the inner surface, the vertical grooves A, concaved or rounded on one side, and,in combination therewith, the end pieces, B, provided with the tongues I), also rounded on one corner and hinged to'the front A on the inside, whereby 0 the sides B will swing inwardly, as herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of October, A. D. 1880.

ROBE RT 0. NICHOLAS.

Witnesses:

J. S. Znnnn, S. STROBHART. 

